Bed leveler/adjuster

ABSTRACT

The Bed Leveler/Adjuster, when mounted into the sleeping cavity of a tracor truck, is a lightweight, economical, compact in heigth bed frame assembly that will either level the head and foot ends of the sleeping matress when needed, or allow three seperate vertically adjustable sections of the sleeping mattress to be operated by the user to recline in a combination of ways. The Bed Leveler/Adjuster is operated by the use of control unit wherein is powered by regulated air pressure supplied by the tractor truck.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] Truckdrivers with sleeper compartments mounted to their trucksoften find that sleeping can be difficult and uncomfortable while theyhave no choice but to be parking their tractor trucks on uneven orsloped surfaces during their sleeptime. Sometimes, they find themselvesleaning sideling in a parking lot or parked on the shoulder of a roadwith the head end of the sleeper bunk being on the downhill side of theslope. Instinctly, the truckdrivers may not want to switch their head tothe foot end of the bed (to avoid sleeping with their head downhill),because of possibly a dirty or stinky foot end of the bed.

[0002] The Bed Leveler/Adjuster will allow the ends of the bed mattressto be leveled up with one another as well as have various recliningpositions. The Bed Leveler/Adjuster is lightweight, economical, andmeasures less than one and one half of an inch in heigth at thecollapsed position. Previous disclosures related to the bed levelingsystem would be U.S. patent documents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,312,088and 4,196,483. Previous disclosures related to the various adjustablereclining positions of the Bed Leveler/Adjuster would be U.S. patentdocuments such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,309,783, 4,669,139, 3,191,196,5,829,077, 4,742,586, and 4,625,348.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0003]FIG. 1 Illustrates a tractor truck parked on a sideling slope. Thesleeper bed is leveled with the Bed Leveler/Adjuster.

[0004]FIG. 2 Illustrates the air system of the Bed Leveler/Adjuster.

[0005]FIG. 3 Shows the Bed Leveler/Adjuster assembly in a close-upreclining position.

[0006]FIG. 4 Shows the bed unit in a leveling position.

[0007]FIG. 5 Illustrates a top view of the Bed Leveler/Adjuster.

[0008]FIG. 6 Illustrates three of the five optional positions of the BedLeveler/Adjuster.

[0009]FIG. 7 Illustrates the remaining two out of five optionalpositions of the Bed Leveler/Adjuster.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0010] The rectangular stationary lower frame base 1 is anchored intosleeping cavity 2 of the sleeper compartment 3 of the tractor truck 4.

[0011] The rectangular upper frame assembly 5, assembled and layed flatagainst the lower base frame 1, being the same length, width, and heigthas the lower base frame 1, is actually three separate frame sections6,7,8 that are bolted or pinned together to hinge the said upper framein the two pivoting points nearer center length-wise, totaling fourpivoting connections 9 in all. The pivoting actions allow threevertically adjustable areas 6,7,8 of the mattress suppert platform 10.

[0012] Lightweight, strong, thin platforms are attached to all threesections 6,7,8 of the upper bed frame assembly 5 to serve as themattress support platform 10 for the sleeping mattress 11 to liedirectly upon, and further strengthen the structure of the upper frameassembly 5.

[0013] The upper bed frame 5 and lower base frame 1 each have a portionof frame 12 on the same end of the bed assembly that detaches nearlyhalf of the bed frame 12 from the larger portion 13 by removing retainerbolts 14 from eyelets 15 and sliding the fabricated pegged ends of theframes 16 from the mating slotted ends 17 of the adjacent frame section,which reduces the size of the bed frame assembly for maneuvering theunit in or out of small spaces for installation or de-installation. Thelower frame base 1 is connected to the hinged upper frame 5 by fourstabilizing arms 18, each of which consist of two slim brackets 19,similar in shape, bolted or pinned together, with one end of thestabilizing arm fastened to the lower frame base 1 and the other end ofthe stabilizing arm 18 being fastened to the upper frame pivoting point20 directly above the lower frame connection. The tension spring 21 isfastened to the pivoting connection 22 of the stabilizing arm 18, andthe opposite end of the tension spring is fastened to the lower framebase 1. The tension springs 21 keep unnecessary slack from being betweenthe upper bed frame 5 and the lower frame base 1. The four stabilizingarms 18 also provide stability to the to the upper bed frame 5 tominimize rocking and swaying when said upper bed frame is beingsupported by airbags 23,24,25.

[0014] The airbags comprise of thin, flexible, airtight, fabricated toshape needed bladders with strong, thin, flexible, fabricated to shapeneeded liners to protect the thin bladder and to restrict and containthe air pressurized bladder. Air supply from the truck 4 goes through aregulator 26 and then to a control unit 27. By manually pressing aswitch on the control unit 27, the air valve in the said control uniteither sends air pressure to the airbag 23,24,25 and expands the bladderwith the force needed to raise the corresponding upper frame section6,7,8 to desired heigth or opens the air passage from the said airbag,allowing the air pressure to escape and the said airbag to deflate,causing the upper frame section 6,7,8 to lower with respect to thecorresponding said airbag.

[0015] The control unit 27 is attached to a flexible lead 28 with thefour air lines 29,30,31,32 concealed inside, running from the bed frameto the control unit 27. The lead 28 contains one full-time airpressurized air line 29 coming from regulated air supply, and threeother air lines 30,31,32 each reserved for it's own airbag. Using thetruck's 4 already available air supply, the air pressure is regulatedand sent to the control unit 27 to be distibuted to any of the threeairbags 23,24,25 within the bed frame assembly at the touch of thecorresponding switch. The control unit has the function to inflate ordeflate any or all of the airbags using the regulated air supply fromthe truck's air system. The airbags 23,24,25 are fastened to protectiveshields 33 that are fastened to the lower frame base 1 as well as theupper frame sections 6,7,8 to hold said airbags in place. The shields 33protect the airbags from punctures or tears from above or below and alsoprovide a smooth surface for the airbag to push against.

What I claim as my invention is:
 1. A tractor truck comprising: Asleeper compartment mounted to said truck containing a sleeping bedframe that will level the sleeping mattress as well as recline invarious positions with the system including: A lower frame base anchoredto sleeping cavity of the sleeper compartment of said truck; Atriple-sectioned mattress support frame with three vertically adjustingpoints; Lifting devices to vertically adjust the mattress platform withregulated air pressure and be operated by a control unit; Tensionedstabilizing arms connecting the lower frame base to the pivoting,triple-sectioned upper frame assembly; A leveling and reclining bedframe, when collapsed, measures no more than one and one half of an inchin heigth. A bed frame that can be dismantled to transport or store incompact spaces.
 2. A sleeping bed system as described in claim 1 ,wherein the dismantling frame includes slide-apart unions held togetherwith retaining bolts ran through eyelets attached to frame sections. 3.A sleeping bed system as described in claim 1 , wherein pressing aswitch on the control unit receives the regulated air supply from thetruck, and directs the air supply through air lines to power airbag orallows the air pressure to escape from the airbag or airbags through theairline or airlines to the said control unit where the air pressure isthen exhausted.
 4. A sleeping bed system as described in claim 1 ,wherein the stabilizing arms with pivoting points have tension springsattached to said pivoting points and then to lower frame base.
 5. Asleeping bed system as described in claim 3 , wherein airbags eachconsist of an airtight, flexible, thin bladder attached to the airlinethat is routed to control unit.
 6. A sleeping bed system as described inclaim 5 , wherein the airbladders are contained and restricted by anouter protective, strong, thin material, wherein is sewn or fabricatedto the shape needed for the airbag to appropriately support mattresssupport platform.
 7. A sleeper bed system as described in claim 1 ,wherein the mattress support frame is three separate frame sectionshinged at two points between the head and foot ends of the bed nearcenter longitude to allow the head section, buttock section, and thefoot sections to each be vertically adjustable by the use of the controlunit sending regulated air pressure to each or any individual airbag.